


A Woman, A Lover A Friend

by Rodidor



Category: Hairspray (2007), Hairspray Live
Genre: 1960s, F/M, Period-Typical Racism, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 04:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6224944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodidor/pseuds/Rodidor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Corny Collins finds love on the other side of town in 1960s Baltimore. </p><p> </p><p>(Revised May 2018)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing other than Anita and a handful of other background characters. The music is not mine either. 
> 
> Note: The word “Negro” is used once in a derogatory manner in this particular chapter. 
> 
> I am Black, but I am still being very sensitive to the time and situations.

Chapter 1

 

Baltimore, Maryland 1960: Two Years Before the Miss Teenaged Hairspray Competition

“Ladies and gentlemen, it has been my pleasure to be your viewing entertainment these long 10 years, but now I feel that it is time for me to move on to greener pastures. The Ultra Clutch team has done so much for me this past decade and I cannot help them enough. Never fear, the Dom Diamond show will not end with me. Come on up here Corny!” Dom, the man standing in the spotlight called out. 

Corny Collins took a deep breath and plastered a flashy smile on his face as he strolled onto the stage. He waved at the cameras and audience as he made his way over to Dom. 

“I am pleased to announce that the Dom Diamond Show will be taken over by Baltimore’s own, Mr. Corny Collins!” Dale boomed into the microphone and Corny had to resist wincing in response to the noise. “Why don’t you go ahead and say a little something Corny?” 

“Hello ladies and gentlemen,” Corny’s smoky voice filled the room and more than a few swoons escaped the audience. “I’m so grateful to Dom and the station for giving me this chance. I hope you all tune in for next week’s Corny Collins show.” 

Corny winked for good measure and a couple of squeals could be heard from the audience. Dom wheezed out a laugh, masking his ire at the reaction his much younger replacement was getting, and quickly shooed his successor off-stage to recite his final goodbyes and advertising plugs.

There was an after party that involved cheap cake and champagne. The cramped room smelled like cigarettes and Dom was in the corner feeling up a woman younger than even Corny, while everyone pretended not to see. For a split moment, Corny actually regretted the fact that he had taken on this new job. It was an early afternoon spot—barely time to catch the kids after school. That was the other problem. It was a spot for show that catered to teenagers. 

Dom, who was now in his 50s, was not appealing to the younger demographics. They wanted a guy like Corny, handsome and hip enough to be the guy every teenaged boy wanted to be, and the man every girl wanted to have. It was the best he could do after hitting rock bottom in California. Corny had wanted to be a movie star, but just couldn’t make it into the industry. It was hard for a newcomer to break into the scene when the industry darlings were so dominant. Sure, Corny was handsome, but handsome men in Hollywood were a dime a dozen. So, after a year he came back home and started working in the station. It paid off now that he was going to be in charge of his own show at the ripe age of 25. 

Corny left the station as soon as it was appropriate. The streets were relatively empty considering the fact that it was midweek. Corny was bone tired and a little more than frustrated. There was a restlessness that he could not shake. He wanted to do everything and yet could do nothing. He was not even sure what this “everything” he wanted was. Ennui was something else.

Corny grunted as he met a red light. There weren’t any other cars going in the opposite direction. Part of him wanted to run the light, but he sat there. The only sound he heard was the grumbling of his own car.

Another vehicle crept up next to Corny’s. He pondered how he had not heard it’s approach with all of the racket it was making. While Corny’s car was not brand new, it definitely was not nearly as run down as the one he was currently next to. The bulky machine sputtered so violently that the entire vehicle shook. It was covered in rusty patches, and the bed of the truck was more wood than metal. 

The driver was obscured by the vehicle’s dirty windows and the general darkness of the night. When the light turned green, both he and the other driver propelled forward. Suddenly, the other car sputtered its last, labored breaths with a lurch and stopped smack in the middle of the intersection.

Corny pulled past it, parked, and climbed out ready to lend a hand.

The other driver had climbed out and was already looking under the hood of the car. Boy was she a picture. Under the streetlights, she looked like a painting. Sepia colored arms and legs extended from the pale dress she wore. The overskirt and bodice were ivory, dyed green by the streetlight overhead, with petticoats of lavender. The dress was not made of the finest materials, but it looked beautiful nonetheless. 

Corny strode up next to her and cleared his throat. “Excuse me ma’am, do you need a hand?”

The young woman straightened, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Hazel brown eyes with flecks of green peered up at him nervously. He caught sight of a button nose and lush lips painted an inviting rouge. He resisted the urge to let out a low whistle. She really was a vision. 

“No, sir. I think I’ll be fine,” She responded in a husky voice that betrayed how shy she was feeling.

He gave her a wry grin and leaned against her car. “Well ma’am I’m not so sure about that. You should move your vehicle over towards the curb to service it instead of being in the middle of the intersection. While I don't know you that well, I reckon that's a two person task.” 

The woman looked bashful, and rather afraid. Corny frowned and then realized what must be making her so concerned.

“Look sweetheart, I’m just here to lend a hand. I have no intention of doing you any wrong. Here, you get in the driver’s seat and put your car in neutral so that we can steer it out of the way. Okay?” He explained, his voice softening, and stepped back a bit to give her some space. 

The woman looked around as if expecting, hoping, to see someone else show up, but then met his gaze and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“The name is Corny,” He responded as he removed his overcoat and unbuttoned his shirt sleeves. He rolled them up his arms and began to push. Without prompting she began to steer, and within 10 minutes, the car was at the curb. It was passing strange, that they seemed to be the only two people in town at this moment. The quiet made it him more aware of her. Corny felt beads of sweat gathering on his forehead, and he swiped them off with the back of his hand. 

“Okay, now let’s see what’s under the hood.” 

“Really sir, this isn’t necessary. You've already helped enough,” The young woman said and Corny flashed what would become his signature grin. 

“Remember it’s Corny. Plus, I could never go home this evening knowing that I left a beautiful lady to fend for herself in the middle of the night in Baltimore. I was raised better than that,” He explained as he popped the hood.

Smoke blew up in the air and he waved his hand to clear it from his face. 

“I can’t believe it’s still smoking. It must be damaged pretty badly,” She spoke up from right beside him. Perhaps the few drinks he had had were affecting him more than he thought, or the night was getting colder, as he couldn’t help but shiver when she spoke. 

“Well, let’s see about that ma’am,” Corny was focused on his task. 

“I reckon I don’t know you well enough to forget my manners, but because you keep insisting I’ll strike a bargain with you. If I must call you Corny instead of sir, you can call me Anita instead of ma’am.” Ah, so she had a name after all. His stubbornness had won out. 

“No offense but what kind of name is Corny anyway?” Anita’s tone was lighter and Corny preferred this a lot more than the apprehensiveness she was showing earlier. 

“Well, my name is James Collins, but I got the nickname Corny when I was younger. It stuck. Corny Collins works great as my stage name. Folks like alliterations, they're easy to remember,” Corny tinkered with different parts of the engine and attempted to find the source of the problem. Only thing was, there could have been several sources. The engine was in utter disrepair, and Corny wasn’t sure if he could get the car up and running again. His skills as a mechanic were only enough to get by. 

“Stage name huh? And a big shot White boy wants to help out the poor little Black girl for no reason?” Anita spoke with a bitter edge to her voice. 

Corny stopped short and immediately looked at her. His jaw was clenched and he was ready to begin an argument until he saw the look in her eyes. There was a fear there that he had to respect. Even he wasn’t stupid enough to be oblivious to the implications of a man like him helping a girl like her in the middle of the night. She had tried to ward off his advances, but some notion of chivalry made him insist to help her. She could not know if there were ulterior motives. She had every right to be afraid. 

“I have no intention of harming you. As I said before, I was raised better than that nonsense and I meant it. The only thing you have to fear from me is the fact that there’s no way I’m going to be able to save your car. The radiator is shot, the transmission is scrap metal, and from the looks of it, your oil pan is busted,” Corny stood up straight and shook his hands. They were covered in oil and grease. 

“One second, I have something for that.” 

Anita reached into the car and pulled out a long cloth. Corny accepted it with muttered thanks and wiped his hands on it. There was silence for a few minutes as Corny thoroughly cleaned his hands. Anita stood with her hip cocked, biting her bare fingernails as she stared at the car as if willing it to fix itself. 

“So, where do you want me to drop you off?” Corny asked with a honeyed tone as if trying to play off the gravity of what he was asking. All he was doing was make himself seem even more suspect than before. He winced at the realization that he was only making this worse.

“Excuse me?” Anita asked more shocked than offended at his offer.

“There’s no way I feel comfortable leaving you in the middle of this part of town at this time of night. Where can I drop you off?” He repeated much slower, and Anita cut her eyes at him in slight annoyance. 

“I just want you to know that I’m a lot scrappier than I look, so don’t go trying anything funny. You’ll walk up but you’ll limp back,” She threatened and he held his hands up in surrender, a smile tugging at his lips. “There’s this record store near downtown. My auntie owns it. She will come and pick me up from there.”

Corny gave her another bright smile. She had to resist returning it. Anita found something about his smile to be infectious. 

“You mean the shop owned by Ms. Maybelle? I love that place. She’s your aunt?" He closed the hood to her truck and gingerly grabbed his suit jacket, not wanting to tarnish it with oil and muck. 

“My daddy’s baby sister. He sent me out here to help her in the record store and with her babies.” Anita stopped after that, not quite sure why she was sharing so much with him. She hadn’t said much, but to the wrong person, even a little was too much.

“Well, that’s simply grand of you.” He opened the car door for her and closed it behind her. 

Within minutes they were cruising down the street, with just the street lights to keep them company. Anita was pressed really close to the door as if she were trying to run away from Corny. After a few measly attempts to start a conversation, Corny gave up and turned on the radio. This late at night, the Black stations would be playing their music, which Corny much preferred. He would stay up late with the radio playing just to hear the up-tempo soul that would pour from the stations.  
Tonight, however, was a night for crooners. Corny found himself singing along to “A Woman, A Lover, A Friend” by Jackie Wilson. Anita glanced at him quite surprised out of the corner of her eye. He had quite the voice on him. His head bobbed along with the tune, and he drummed the steering wheel but still managed to be entirely enthralled by the music. 

Corny continued to amuse himself with the music on the radio, but Anita remained absolutely silent. After ten minutes, they pulled up to the record store. Corny quickly got out and opened the door for Anita who actually smiled at him this time. Her smile was bright, and he nearly tripped over himself at the sight of it. 

“Thank you Mr. Corny. It would have been a long walk here on my own in all this dark. You’ve been awfully kind to me tonight even when I wasn’t the most polite,” Anita admitted.

Corny shrugged. “Your apprehension was understandable, but my feelings might be a little hurt next time.” 

There was a beat of silence and Corny sputtered realizing the implications of his words.

“Next time my car breaks down, I’ll consider ringing you for a ride. You have a good night Mr. Collins,” Anita offered him a small smile, the barest upturn of the lips, before unlocking and entering the doors of the record store. 

Corny got back into his car and drove home. For some reason, “Partin’ Time” by B.B King felt like an inappropriate close to what was a rather unpredictable night. 

~~~The Next Week~~~

Anita was sitting in front of her aunt’s stove. The burner was up high as metal combs heated in the flames. A tin of grease sat next to the stove. It was early Thursday evening, and Maybelle and Anita were in the kitchen doing each other’s hair. Maybelle’s hair was already pressed, up in rollers, and a silk scarf. It was Anita’s turn, and Maybelle had the hot comb running through her niece’s unruly curls. 

“You’re now tuning in to the Corny Collins show!” Anita jumped in shock at the announcement, and let out a yelp as the hot comb hit her ear. Maybelle cursed and pulled back. 

“ANITA! Child, you need to relax before you hurt ya self. Here let me look at it?” Maybelle grabbed Anita’s face and looked at the damn. 

“Put some cocoa butter on it and you’ll be fine. It don’t look like more than a little red on ya ear. Now, be still baby.”

“Sorry, just. That’s the man who gave me the ride the other night,” Anita explained pointing at the television screen that was still visible from the kitchen. 

“You mean to tell me that you met Corny Collins? That boy is a blessing in disguise. He’s been trying to convince the studio to give us some time on the air. Said that Ultra Clutch needed to embrace the times. He’s seen Seaweed dance and wanted him on the main show. That tramp Velma VonTussle shut him down though. Just because he’s a nice boy don’t make it alright for you to take that ride from him though. That was dangerous,” Maybelle muttered off at her signature rapid pace. Anita simply sat still too afraid to nod incase the hot comb were to do more damage. 

“You got hair like my side of the family. Thick and healthy. Be proud of it,” Maybelle had some how switched topics. Anita smiled at her over her shoulder and looked forward. Corny was singing and dancing on screen dripping with confidence and a swagger that she had not witnessed those days before. 

By the time her hair was done, the show was finally wrapping up. 

“Here let me wrap it for you.” Maybelle pulled out a bag of clips to pin up Anita’s hair before wrapping it in a silk scarf not unlike her own. 

“Let me clean up aunty, you get some rest. Thank you for doing my hair,” Anita requested and Maybelle accepted with a nod. 

“No problem baby. Just make sure you get into bed on time too. We got a long day at the record store tomorrow.” 

Anita waited until her aunt was all the way in her room before she began to put the hair supplies away. She washed the dishes left soaking in the sink from the roast, and swept the floor. All the while, singling softly to herself in the pastel hues of the kitchen light. 

—

Months passed. While her encounter with Corny was a distant memory, his blue eyes were plastered to her mind. Anita busied herself with working in the record store and helping write songs for the singing group her aunt managed. The Dynamites were a dynamic trio of singers with voices that could bring a room to tears or to their feet dancing. 

They had wanted Anita to join them, but she politely declined saying that she had no interest in performing. Plus, they were perfect as a trio. She settled for writing down music in the down times in the record store. Like the current moment.

“I heard church bells ringing  
I heard a choir singing  
I saw my love walk down the aisle  
On her finger he placed a ring  
Oh, I saw them holding hands  
She was standing there with my man  
I heard them promise "Till death do us part  
Each word was a pain in my heart”

(Etta James “All I Could Do Was Cry 1960)

Anita’s voice echoed through the nearly empty record store. Things were always slow before lunch time. She walked around placing records on their respective shelves and tables. Every so often she’d stop, and scribble down lyrics on a notepad that she carried under her arm. 

So caught up in the process of writing, Anita was oblivious to the fact that she had company other than her aunt who was in the back, and old Wilbur who ran the cash register. The intruder simply stood in the door way, soaking in the voice of the woman before him. 

 

“All I could do, all I could do was cry (cry, cry, cry)  
All I could do was cry (cry, cry, cry)  
I was losing the man that I loved  
And all I could do was cry (cry, cry, cry)”

Anita had simply stopped putting away records and just stood there singing her heart out to the wall. She had even stopped writing lyrics at that point, but with a song like this it wasn’t as though one could really forget the words. They sort of branded themselves to your heart.

The songwriter turned away from the wall in a fit of passion during her singing. Her eyes immediately met Corny’s and her voice faltered before stopping all together.

“By God, Anita. Your voice…” He said breathlessly, and she looked down. 

“Oh don’t mind me, I was just messing around. I just write them for the other girls to sing. Nothing more and-,” She responded at a pace that rivaled Maybelle’s, avoiding his eyes.

“I don’t think any one in this world could sing that song the way you just did,” Corny blurted before she could finish.

They stood staring at one another not quite sure what to say, before Maybelle came in from the back room. 

“Mr. Corny Collins! To what do I owe this pleasure?” Maybelle asked, a vision in her signature flowing dress. 

Corny’s countenance immediately shifted, as he seemed to remember that he had shown up with a particular purpose. His smile was wide and excited energy rolled off of him in waves.

“It wasn’t easy Maybelle, but I did it. You now have a monthly spot on the show. I tried to go for full integration, but the harder I pressed, the more resistant they grew. This slot was the best I could do,” Corny announced getting right to business. 

Maybelle was struck dumb for a second before she embraced the younger man in a tight hug. She lived up to her nickname Motormouth with how fast words were pouring out of her mouth. 

“You’re a saint, Corny Collins. Oh, I’m gonna cook for you child. Anita we’re gonna be on TV! Wilbur you hear that? I'm gonna get the neighborhood kids on the tv. Oh, honey you’re a blessing!” 

Anita stood to the side as her aunt sang praises to the handsome, young white man standing in their record store. She took a minute to actually take in his appearance. 

He had on a dark blue, three piece suit that really accentuated his eyes. His dark brown hair slicked back with a side part. His strong features reminded Anita of that really popular Superman comic book character- with his chiseled jaw and straight nose. He didn’t have the same build- Corny seemed to have more lean muscle whereas the super hero was far more bul-

Anita shook her head to clear her head of thoughts of the man. She shouldn’t have been looking at him in that way. Anita fingered the floral material of her dress. It was a-line and flared at the waist with a white petticoat under it. It was a lovely dress, stylish, but the materials were obviously cheaper than what would be seen on Corny’s side of town. Anita was usually proud of the dresses her aunt made her. They were a sign of making something out of nothing. Now, she felt inadequately dressed in his company.

“Mr. Collins you went and got my aunty her own television show?” Anita interrupted. In Maybelle’s tirade, he had found himself looking in the direction of the young woman, who had been lost in thought. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with a small bump for volume. It was thick and shiny, and the end of the ponytail brushed her shoulders. Corny thought she looked just as lovely as she did all those nights ago.

“Yes, I did, Miss Anita,” He began with a voice not unlike the one he used for announcing. “By the way, I haven’t gotten any phone calls so I suspect your car hasn’t left you stranded anymore.” 

“I had to scrap it actually. It was not doing me any good anymore,” She shrugged and gave him and impish smile. “Plus, I don’t know your number anyway. It wouldn't be becoming to dial around at random asking for you.” 

Maybelle watched the interaction with one eyebrow raised. “Anita honey,” She interrupted and both looked at her. “You should be on the show.” 

“Oh Auntie, I’m an okay dancer, but not good enough to be on television. Let Seaweed and Lil Inez do that,” Anita stammered waving her hands as if to say “no”. 

“I meant singing! Anita you’d be great up there. You solo and the Dynamites all together!” Maybelle rattled off in her booming stage voice. Her hands waved through the air as if conducting an orchestra. Anita watched her, and the smile on her face became piqued with irritation.

Corny watched the exchange with his eyebrows knitted together. It was obvious that the two women had discussed this before. 

“Now, Auntie, you know I can’t. It’ll be okay though. You’ll have great music and the Dynamites. The show will be a hoot! You don’t need me for that,” Anita assured her aunt and gave Maybelle a kiss on the cheek. 

“But hone-“ Maybelle began, but was cut off my her niece. 

“Now, I’m going to go down to The Shack and grab us some lunch. You want a cheeseburger Mr. Collins?” Anita grabbed her sweater off of a stool and clutch purse. 

“No thank you Ms. Anita I’ve already eaten,” Corny answered with a nod of his head. He was giving her a calculating look that made her a little uncomfortable. So, she nodded at the two of them and walked out the door. 

 

“You wouldn’t believe it, but that girl has more talent in her body than you could find in the entire DMV area. Music major at Spelman College, and was one of the top students of her class. After she graduated, she came down here with me instead of pursuing a career,” Maybelle clucked. 

Corny decided that feigning ignorance of Anita’s talent would suit them best. “So, why won’t she pursue it?” He questioned hoping to get more insight. 

“Because she’s afraid.” And they left it at that.

Corny made arrangements for Maybelle to come down to the station to get all of the paper work out of the way. 

“Thank you Mr. Collins. You don’t know how much this means to us,” Maybelle was gearing up for a good cry and Corny didn’t want to be around for it. Bless her soul, the woman’s blubbering was just as ostentatious as the rest of her. 

“It’s nothing Maybelle. You deserve it more than I do if we’re going to be honest. You take care now,” Corny patted her hand and walked out the door.

Anita was rounding the corner with a couple of brown paper bags in her hands. One already had grease seeping through it from the food it carried. 

“Leaving Mr. Collins?” Anita asked stopping next to his car and looking up at him. Corny looked into her bright eyes and hesitated for a moment.

“Yeah, I, uhhh, have to run a few errands.” He was stuttering and he didn’t know why. Perhaps the fact that he now knew far more about her than he thought she’d be comfortable with. “Also, I keep saying this, but please just call me Corny.”

“Alright then…Corny. You have a nice day,” Anita said and gave him a smile. She turned to walk into the door.

“Anita,” Corny called out and she turned. He smiled at her. “You look nice today.” 

With that, he climbed into his car and began to make his way home. Anita stood there until he rounded the corner. The dress wasn’t so bad after all she thought. 

—

“And that’s it ladies and gentlemen. The first ever Negro Day brought to you by Ultra Clutch’s Kinky-to-Slinky hair products. Turn that frown upside down with silky hair on your crown. Good night y’all!” Maybelle spoke with a wide smile on her face.

Anita stood off-stage next to Corny who had come to see the premier of Negro Day. The name had rubbed her the wrong way, but Anita couldn’t voice her complaints to anyone--especially when the snake Velma VonTussle slithered within earshot. Anita had a notepad and pencil at hand, where small script was neatly written. Some words were crossed out, and eraser shavings clung to the parchment. She had been writing lyrics.

“Thank you again Corny. My aunt has been wanting this for a while. You helped make it a reality for her and the Dynamites finally got some time in the spotlight,” Anita thanked him quietly so that the microphones wouldn’t pick up the sound of it.

“They deserve it. Plus, this is better than anything I can put out on my show. The producers are so damn uptight. Pardon my language,” He looked sheepish at his slip.

“It’s okay. I’ve heard much worse from Maybelle in the record store.”

“You know… you would be great on the show Anita,” Corny offered and she sighed. 

“It’s funny. Maybelle said the same thing. It’s almost like you two have been talking,” Her eyes narrowed at him. 

Corny shrugged. “I’m not going to hound you. All I have to say is don’t let it go to waste. You could be rich and famous. You could have everything you ever wanted.” 

“Except the ability to walk through the front door of a restaurant on your side of town. Except the ability to walk past you on the sidewalk without having to step into the gutter. You’ve seen what’s happened to people like me. Take for example Miss Billie Holliday. Fame doesn’t mean everything Corny,” Anita growled and Corny could not respond.

Fame had always been a monolith to him. It was a state of being in which the same silver platters laden with spoils, also bore ruin. It was a constant game of chance that gave and took liberally. He had loved the idea of it, but hadn’t before thought of the people who had more taken than given. 

Anita scoffed at his silence, and turned to walk away. Corny grabbed her hand. It was the first time they had ever had physical contact. There were no sparks, no fireworks. The released each other as soon as contact was made, but Anita couldn’t help but notice her anger had drained out of her. A feeling of calmness had washed over both of them the minute they touched, as if this was the way things needed to be.

“I apologize Miss Anita. It was out of line for me to assume to know what you wanted or what was best for you,” Corny apologized looking her in her eye. 

“Apology accepted, Corny,” Anita acquiesced and he nodded. Velma watched them with her piercing gaze. 

“I should go get aunt Maybelle’s things together so that we can get on home. We still have to open up tomorrow morning,” Anita said discomfited by the glare sent her way. Corny stepped back. 

“I should be on my way as well. Have to go take care of the last bit of business here in the station. You have a good night Ms. Anita,” Corny murmured. He gave her a small smile and walked away.

Anita watched him go, with a pained expression that didn’t go unnoticed by the two elder blond women in the room.

—1961—

Negro Day was a hit with the Black folks in Baltimore and the small towns on its outskirts. It was customary for families to gather at the houses with televisions just to watch it. The school children were allowed to stay up late on the school night just to tune in. Everyone crowding the living rooms with plates laden with greens, black eyed peas, yams, and small pork chops. If it was a special occasion, someone may have made a 7up cake. The hours toiling day after day, in the cruel climate of the South, came to a head just once a month, for a half an hour in front of the television. It wasn’t a fair trade off by any means, but they didn’t begrudge what little they got. 

Maybelle’s record store started receiving more visitors from teenaged hopefuls wanting a spot on the show. Local singing groups would audition for the opportunity to perform alongside the dancers. Boys and girls of all ages would stop her in the street to shimmy their way into a spot on the show. Maybelle started throwing dinner party rehearsals for the performers to dance and eat for which some of them were grateful. A spot on the show didn’t mean money in their pockets. It just gave them a chance to be in the limelight for once. Even if the light bore the shadow of the moniker “Negro”. 

It was first year anniversary of Negro Day. The anniversary show had already aired and featured all live music and new dances. It was the most watched performance by far. Corny had told Anita that they had even gotten steady views from outside of just their community. 

Maybelle decided to hold the event following Saturday. She wanted it to coincide with Anita’s 23rd birthday, which saved time from having to plan two events. 

“A two in one party baby girl. That’s all this is,” Maybelle defended her choice in her matter-of-fact voice. 

Anita had tried to argue that she didn’t need a party as twenty three was not a mile-stone age. Maybelle would hear none of it. 

That night, Anita slid into another one of Maybelle’s creations. The material was a deep red made out of chiffon. Unlike the typical a line skirts that she wore, this one had a sheath skirt and a sweetheart neckline. Anita insisted on sleeves of some sort, so Maybelle put on cap sleeves to assuage her niece. It was a curve hugging piece that accentuated Anita’s russet toned skin well.

“You’re gonna look like a show stopper, just you wait,” Maybelle rattled on as she brushed Anita’s hair back. Maybelle pulled it into a high bun that was sleek and voluminous. 

Maybelle was also quite a vision in gold and scarlet red- her signature colors. 

“Well, aunty we look quite the picture if I may say so myself,” Anita remarked as they looked into the mirror. It was old, and a little distorted. Yet, despite the imperfections of the mirror, the women in it were a sight to see. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to go blond too?” Maybelle asked lightly patting the bun on her niece’s head. Anita shook her head vehemently. All the memories of what her aunt went through to bleach her hair, the chemical smell, and Maybelle’s complaints would discourage any one from doing the same. 

“You couldn’t pay me to change my hair color.”

“It was worth asking. Now, let’s go before we’re late for our own party.” 

The record store had become the hub for all of Black Baltimore’s festivities. It was large and had the set up for a party with the added bonus of insulation to keep the sound from disturbing the neighbors. 

“You expecting any special visitors for your party? Any young men coming around?” Maybelle teased, as they loaded up the car with food. 

Anita responded with a load groan that made the older woman laugh.

Maybelle had been dropping hints for Anita to bring someone around for some time time. Anita passed most of her time in the record store or with the kids. She read a lot and did some singing, but Maybelle had not once seen her niece so much as notice anyone of the opposite sex. This was not to say that Anita did not have an admirer or two. The only problem was that Anita was interested in a person that she should not have so much as looked twice at. Circumstances made any thought of having a relationship with him impossible. Plus, Anita knew so little about him. So, she amused herself with lyrics about a blue-eyed boy that she kept hidden lest anyone should find them. 

“No aunty, I told you I’m not expecting anyone.” Anita was tired of answering this question. 

She knew Maybelle wanted her to think about settling down soon. Maybelle had been wed at 16, pregnant by 17, and widowed by 23. The woman had lived a lifetime before she reached adulthood. Now, 32 years-old and running two successful businesses, as well as her own show, Maybelle was at the top of the world—or rather, their side of town. 

“Well, maybe you’ll see someone tonight. Eddie-Mae’s grandsons will be there. The twins? And that Joe kid who moved up from Shreveport. Not to mention, Red Lewis from around the corner,” Maybelle listed off names of most of the neighborhood’s eligible young men. 

Anita simply nodded as she prattled on. The ride to the record store had never seemed so long before. She distracted herself with thoughts of Corny’s smile. It wouldn’t do to act on her feelings, but there was no crime in thinking about it. It was easy to develop a crush on the charismatic television host. He was kind, good looking, and she’d always had a soft spot for boys that could sing. 

Once they arrived, Seaweed and a few of his friends helped the ladies unload the car. There were streamers and a few balloons around the record store. The lights had been dimmed in different areas, and the boys had put colored lenses over the brighter bulbs to give the room a more extravagant party feel. Sticking to tradition makeshift dance floor was the darkest area, giving the adults room to dance like adults without danger of being too obvious to the younger partygoers. 

After things were settled, Anita had split her time between chatting with the Dynamites and dancing with her younger cousin who was already taller than her. 

“Getting slow in your old age Anita?” Seaweed teased as he spun her around. 

“Oh hush. Watch and learn,” Anita taunted and began to do the twist stiffly, as if she were ancient, for comedic affect. 

She was met with laughter and taunts as other crowd members called her bluff. Once she cut loose, a circle of clapping, cheering black folk surrounded them as each tried to show the other up. Anita knew Seaweed was the better dancer, but she wouldn’t back down from a challenge. At the end of the song, she gave him a hug and wandered off to the sidelines to cool down. It wouldn’t do to sweat our the hairdo that she spent hours getting together.

“Ms. Anita,” A familiar voice called out from behind her. 

“Corny?” She whirled around and met those steel blue eyes that she could hardly ever get off her mind. 

Corny stood there, hair slick and parted as usual. He also had on another one of his suits. This one was grey, and he wore a blue tie around his neck. It brought out the grey undertones in his eyes. Corny looked as handsome as he ever had, and this time Anita couldn’t try to pretend otherwise. He stood out in the dim room, but the other patrons were used to seeing him around at this point. Then again, maybe it was that he only stood out to her. 

“Happy Birthday Ms. Anita,” Corny spoke with his voice thick with something Anita couldn’t identify. His eyes trailed down to her feet, in a slow decent that did not make her feel uncomfortable. She felt quite warm actually.

“Thank you Corny. I’m so happy to see you here. I had no idea you were coming,” Anita resisted the urge to take his hand in her own. 

“Maybelle told me about the party and invited me. Once I found out it was your birthday, I couldn’t miss it,” He confessed and she gave him a beaming smile. “You look… resplendent.”

Well, that was one way to put it. He had a few choice words about the way that she looked, but could not voice them and remain a gentleman. He tugged at his collar. It was a warm night. 

Anita looked away from his intense gaze for a moment. “You’re too kind. Plus, you don’t look so bad yourself,” She murmured trying to lighten up the conversation for the sake of her nerves.

“Yes, but…” Corny began but shook his head as if shaking away his thoughts. “Nevermind. I really would like to give you your birthday gift.” 

Anita looked down and noticed the box he was holding in his hand. It was the size of an average present box, covered with dark blue wrapping paper topped with a bright white ribbon.

“You didn’t have to. Thank you so much Corny!” Anita exclaimed in a fit of excitement. She impulsively leaned over and kissed his cheek before accepting the gift. A light imprint of rouge stained his cheek. 

Corny’s entire body froze and he stared at her for a minute. He soaked in the feeling of her lips against his cheek, and savored the look in her hazel eyes as he presented the present to her. He wished he had a way to capture her image in only his memory.

“You’re welcome, Anita,” He said breathlessly. She gave him another beaming smile. “I hope you like it and don’t find it to be presumptuous.”

“I’m sure it’s perfect,” Anita reassured him and he laid his hand over hers.

That feeling of calm washed over them both again. 

“I’m sure you’d be the better judge of that, being so perfect yourself,” He teased, attempting his usual charm, but falling flat of the lighthearted tone he intended. He sounded serious.

Corny was embarrassed. He was a cocky and confident man who always knew how to say and do the right things at any moment. It was how he got the show. It was how he helped make Negro Day happen. Corny was no idiot or boy scout. 

Yet, here he was trying his usual tricks on a woman he hardly knew. Anita, for all of her snark, was a very private woman for a very good reason, and Corny had royally screwed up the last time he was let in enough to learn anything about her. 

Anita stared at him. She knew Corny was a player, maybe not so much in action, but in word. His charm was his bread and butter. She tried to laugh it off. 

“You’re funny Mr. Collins,” She joked, but her eyes gave away her sadness. 

He looked at her and shook his head. It was best to just be honest. “That wasn’t a joke Anita. You're the closest to perfect I've ever laid my eyes on, and you should know that. Or, if it's not too bold, I could show you," He admitted his eyes lingering on her mouth, before meeting her eyes again. 

Anita inhaled sharply. She needed a chance to get away from him. “I need to go…put this away.” 

Before he could respond, she was across the room. Maybelle asked her something, and Anita laughed loudly, awkwardly, before excusing herself to the back for a moment. 

 

Corny waited a moment, before saying his farewells. Maybelle made a big todo about his leaving the party so soon. He feigned tiredness from a long day, and said he had a long drive back to his house. Maybelle eventually let him leave after forcing a large plate of food on the young man. To be honest, Corny wasn’t opposed to taking home any of Maybelle’s delicious food. 

He put the plate in his car before driving around to the backside of the building. Anita stood there under the pale yellow light, and he could not help but reflect that she always took his breath away under the din of streetlights. 

Corny pulled in front of her, and she looked as if she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. He stepped out of the car and smiled at her. “Would you like to go for a ride?” 

Anita hesitated for a moment, before nodding. Corny, opened the car for her.

“Drive down to the old bridge,” She told him once he regained his seat.

“Your wish is my request. Just to be sure though, you won’t be missed at your party?” Corny asked concerned. 

“We covered the birthday song and cake at the beginning. So, it won’t be too much of an issue,” Anita explained and he nodded.

They drove in silence and remained silent once they reached their location. The Patapsco glimmered in the moonlight. The trees around them blocked any lights from the city. Corny inched his hand towards Anita’s and intertwined his fingers with hers. Anita gave his hand a light squeeze.

“Corny, I don’t know anything about you,” Anita finally spoke up. 

“I know, and that’s okay because I th-,” Corny rattled off and Anita held up a hand silencing him.

“You came to me with all your charm, making my heart beat all fast. You smile at me, and I feel like I’m on fire. Now, I go to church, and I know a thing or two about lust and love, and the best way to figure this out is for me to get to know you. So, tell me about your childhood.”

Corny paused as soon as the l-word was brought up, but agreed with her overall logic. “Okay.” 

He explained that his father was a doctor and had raised him primarily. His father, Nelson, was nearing 50 when Corny had been born. Nelson met the much younger Adeline when she was a receptionist at a hospital. They wed after 6 months. When Corny was four, his mother had gotten really sick, and Nelson blamed himself for being unable to help her. Corny’s nickname had come from his father who joked that his fast growing son had to have been cornfed behind his back. His father had apparently not been very supportive of Corny’s desire for fame. 

“He told me there was no way I would make it in that world, but I wanted to prove him wrong. Then, he died, and I was a failure. His funeral was particularly rough for me because I was surrounded by family I didn’t know who all wanted a piece of me for one thing or another. The Collins are a family of old money. Everyone had advice to share with me, Nelson’s deadbeat son, about how to properly use my father’s money, where to invest, and which of their pursuits I should fund. After that debacle, I decided to stay home. When I started picking up work at the station, I ended up here.”

“Did you and your dad still talk after you went away?” Anita asked curiously. 

“Oh loads actually. He didn’t support my choice in career, but he was still my father. We talked every week. Even with our differences, I knew he loved me very much.”

Anita smiled. “I am my daddy’s baby too,” She began. “My mother didn’t survive my birth. It was customary for a male relative to hand off a baby to a close female relative if the mother wasn’t around. My dad flat out refused to let me live without him. He always said I looked too much like my mother for him to willingly let me out of his sight. He is a musician anyway, so he could spend all his daytime with me and then go play at night. He was so proud when I went to college. After I graduated, I came down here to live with his baby sister. He called me earlier to wish me Happy Birthday. I don’t have much figured out, but I know I can’t stop writing songs. They’re constantly in my head.”

Corny noticed that her smile fell once she started talking about music. He wanted to press her for more, but he just couldn’t do that again. 

“I’m a very…I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I hold myself back because I don’t want to fail. When I write the song that I don’t think anyone else can sing, I’ll sing it.”

“And what if that song never comes?” Corny couldn’t resist asking.

“Then, I’ll never sing. I’m not going to ask you to try to understand, but it’s how I am.” Anita started to pull her hand away but he held on tight.

Corny drove Anita back to the party and let her out around the corner at her behest. He put up an argument, but she quieted his complaints.

“Corny, we need to be somewhat realistic about some of these things. I like you, but this won't work. You have to be careful, and so do I. This...this isn't how people do things,” She explained mournfully.

So, he dropped her off, and watched as she walked back into the party she had been absent from for nearly an hour. Corny turned around and drove back home wondering how he was going to get away with seeing her again. He was resolved to change her mind. 

—  
Anita left Corny’s gift unopened until she was alone in her room at Maybelle’s. She pulled the paper apart carefully not wanting to tear something wrapped so beautifully. Inside the box was a beautiful ivory and lavender material. It was the same colors that she wore on the first night he had given her a ride home. He bought just enough yards for Maybelle to make her a beautiful dress.

It was her favorite color. 

—

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Corny had found a way to keep in contact with the woman he was pursuing. He had drafted Anita as a song writer for some of the performers. She wasn’t too willing at first. 

“You’ll get credit for everything they sing,” Corny explained as he tried to woo her into the job. 

“Yes, but I’ll just be a name lost in translation. I’ll never be able to show my face on your show and take real credit for my music. Plus, I don’t want Velma whitewashing my music,” Anita argued punctuating her words with a finger jabbing the air in front of her. “No offense, but y’all are known for stealing music.” 

“That’s fair, but I don’t want you to put real effort into this,” He said and she glared at him. 

Her fury found new direction.

“Excuse me? I take pride in the music I make regardless of who's singing it. How dare you even suggest that?” Anita barked and he rubbed a hand over his face. 

“That’s not what I meant. I just think that the Dynamites deserve your music more. Only problem is that, as you know, Velma is more willing to steal your songs than actually give you credit for them. I’m asking that you write a few songs and let the council sing them. You don’t have to put the same amount of yourself in this music because I don’t want you hurt when Velma takes it and strips it of it’s soul,” Corny tried to explain but Anita shook her head. 

“Corny, I’m sure there are tons of white people who would love to write music for your show. Why me?” Anita asked still posed for a fight. She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip. 

“Because this is the only way that I can think of to spend time with you without anyone suspecting anything,” Corny raised his voice, finally losing his composure. “You don’t think that I realized that there are tons of song writers on my side of town who would jump at this chance? But, I don’t want them. I want you. I want to see you without having to sneak around in your aunt’s record store as I pretend to have things to tell her about the station. The Speakeasy theme for last month’s Negro Day was just a random idea I came up with to be able to see you. I want to be able to talk to you in a crowded room without people wondering why. Do you know how hard it is to court someone you never get to see? I’m trying to convince you that this is real, but I can’t do that if I can’t see you. I need this excuse.”

Anita was taken aback for a moment. 

“Why didn’t you just say that then?” She chided. “You let me sit here and think that you just wanted me to… You know what. It’s not important. If it means that we get to see each other, I’ll do it.”

And since then, she had been giving him a song a week just so that they could see one another. She would always teach it to him in one of the station’s music practice rooms. He would then teach it to the group singing on his show. Anita hated the fact that she always had to enter and exit through the back door, but she and Corny were always given a privacy that they could have had nowhere else. 

They spent two hours together every Tuesday night. The first hour was just learning the song, but the second was them spending time together and talking. She made ten dollars a song and was recognized as the writer under the name “Anita Hill”. "Hill" was her mother’s maiden name so they never ran the risk of someone outside himself and Velma knowing figuring out who she was. If the company needed a face to put to the name, they had plenty of pretty, pale receptionists to take credit for it. 

Even though the music Anita wrote for the Council was watered down, the songs were still hits. Velma could never really complain about the work the younger, black woman did though she did suspect Corny’s motivations for hiring her. Without enough evidence to make a case, Velma only insisted that she be kept away from the white teenagers who danced on Corny’s show.

They were currently on the second half of their “practice” session. The two shared a slice of pineapple upside down cake that Maybelle had made the night before. 

“So, I have one question for you.” Corny announced in mid-chew and Anita made a face.

“Ask me after you’re done chewing, nasty,” Anita reprimanded and he gave her a sheepish grin before swallowing. 

“You still haven’t worn a dress made out of my birthday present. Did you not like it?” He asked with his usual grin on his face. Anita could see the apprehension in his eyes. He was afraid of what she might say. 

“That material is the nicest I’ve ever owned. I don’t want to waste it on some regular day dress. I want it to be something special,” Anita announced and the apprehension melted away.

“Well, I can’t wait to see you in it. Though, the pants you have on now, do suit you very well,” Corny muttered cheekily, kissed her hand, and turned back to the cake. “Maybelle deserves an award for this cake. God Almighty.”

Anita slapped his hand. “Don’t use his name in vain. You have crumbs on your face.”

Corny rolled his eyes and apologized. She gave him a warning look and he held up his hands in surrender. 

Most of their evenings passed in this way—sharing a slice of dessert while learning more about one another. A kiss on the hand was the most affectionate they were towards one another. Neither was ready to push that boundary yet. Well, Corny was, but he didn’t want to scare Anita away.

At the end of their meetings, Corny would drive her home, or rather to the record store and Maybelle would pick her up from there. Anita knew that her aunt was growing more and more suspicious of the two, but kept most of her thoughts to herself. Maybelle was more open minded than most and recognized that if anything her niece deserved support rather than judgement. Love was a beautiful, vibrant thing, and no one had a right to cast a shadow over it simply because of the color of skin. 

—  
“Aunt Maybelle, I have something serious to ask you,” Anita announced one night after Maybelle picked her up from the record store.

“What is honey? Are you in trouble?” Maybelle asked anxiously. The edge to her voice gave away what she thought her niece was going to say.

“No! Nothing like that! I’ll… just get it out. I’ve written a song. I want to sing it next Negro Day,” Anita explained and Maybelle slammed on the breaks.

“Are you serious?!” The older woman shrieked making her niece wince. “Oh baby that’s a great thing. Of course you can. I’ll give you the first slot and everything.” 

“Actually, I’d like to have the last slot. I know that’s a lot to ask, but I talked it over with Debra and the other Dynamites. They were more than okay with it. See, it’s Denise’s husband’s birthday, and they wanted the night off,” Anita admitted and Maybelle thought it over for a second.

“You sure about this Anita?” Maybelle asked looking at her. Her usual flair and vivaciousness was muted as she looked her niece in the eye. Anita met her gaze with no hesitation. 

“I am not sure, but I want to try. I finally wrote the song that I want no one else to sing.”

—

Anita stood backstage composing herself. Her brand new white heels clicked as she paced back and forth. The bright lights in the dingy dressing room made her lavender dress shine. She surprised herself and Maybelle when she requested that it have no sleeves. Maybelle decided to give her another sweetheart neckline. The bodice was tight, but showed off Anita’s figure in a tasteful way. The dress danced the line between being elegant and scandalous. It ended just below her knee. Elbow length, white satin gloves covered her balmy hands. It was the most skin Anita had ever shown in public before. Her makeup was light and glossy. Her hair was in an elegant up-do. Maybelle had spent a solid two hours before the show doing her niece’s hair and makeup.

“And next, we have Anita Marron performing her new song, At Last,” Maybelle announced positively beaming into the television screen. There dancers were paired off and ready to go, but the spotlight was pointed directly on Anita. 

Everyone waited with bated breath as she walked up to the microphone. The small group of musicians that usually played started up the music. 

“At last,” She sang and everyone stopped.

“My love has come along  
My lonely days are over  
And life is like a song.”

The dancers began to move, but their eyes didn’t wander far from the woman singing. Her voice seemed to swell with each new line sung; her confidence grew stronger.

Corny, who she had requested attend that night, stood next to the camera man and his heart wrenched in his chest. Anita unhooked the microphone from it’s stand and stood in clear view of the camera man. 

“Oh yeah yeah  
At last  
The skies above are blue  
My heart was wrapped up in clover  
The night I looked at you”

Velma stood dumbstruck. She intended to have Amber singing this song on the next airing of their show. Only problem was that she wasn’t sure that her daughter had the voice for it. Having a negro on the show was out of the question. Perhaps Anita could write another like it for her singers…

Anita continued to blow the crowd away with each line. Her eyes were glued to Corny who was conveniently standing where she could stare at him without appearing to look away from the camera.

There was so much emotion in her voice. It was unmistakeable that she was singing to someone. Maybelle was the only only person who had any idea who.

“Oh yeah yeah  
You smiled, you smiled  
Oh and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
for you are mine...

At Last”  
(Etta James, “At Last” 1961)

The applause thundered through the crowd as the lights went back up. Anita took a bow to the camera and sauntered off-stage with her head held high. No one noticed that her hands were shaking, and her eyes darted nervously. Corny watched transfixed as she disappeared backstage. 

“And that’s it for today’s Negro Day brought to you by Ultra Clutch’s Straight and Great. Turn those frizzy curls into a hair style worthy of a night on the town or that new job! See you next month,” Maybelle rattled off at a record pace eager to see her niece. 

Corny raced out as she made the announcement wanting to get a moment with Anita before she was bombarded. 

He knocked loudly on the door to her dressing room. The door swung open and there she stood, the same as she had looked onstage. Her eyes were downcast and she fiddled with the ends of her hair.

“We have no time right now as your aunt’s on her way.. Meet me tonight at the record store? Don’t bother changing just come straight away,” Corny requested almost desperately. As soon as she nodded, he left. 

Standing there was a test on his control. Corny wanted to do so much, but knew he would be putting them both at risk if he were to so much as touch her. His hands were shaking from something he was not quite sure how to explain. He ran out to his car and gripped the steering wheel catching his breath. He wanted to shout and dance, but settled on driving himself to the back of the record store. 

The entire ride there he rehearsed what he would say to her, and how he would act. He felt as though his heart were going to beat out of his chest as he pulled up behind the record store. 

He beat her there by 10 minutes. Anita had convinced Maybelle that she had no desire to celebrate and to drop her off at the record store. She made some excuse about wanting to have some solitude and pick up some things she had left there. Maybelle gave her a knowing look and pulled in front of the record store. 

“I’m not blind Anita. Call me when you’re done meeting Mr. Collins. We’ll talk when you get home,” Maybelle spoke not unkindly, but with a serious edge to her voice. Anita simply nodded at her aunt and exited the vehicle. There had been many a woman ruined in her day by white men who waited until the night to prowl the streets of their neighborhood. Corny was not like those men, but there was a danger still there. 

“Also, Anita,” Maybelle called, and her niece turned, the skirt of her dress twirling behind her. “You were amazing tonight.”

They both shared a smile and Anita walked into the store and through to the back. 

Corny jumped out of his car as soon as he got there and jogged inside the opened door. 

“Corny I-“ She started when she saw him, but was cut off by his lips on hers.

Corny’s arms wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him as they kissed. Anita’s hand rested on his face. It had all the drama and flair that a first kiss of this kind should. A year’s worth of pent up longing and emotion were released as their lips touched. Corny held on to her as though his life depended on it, and her cool touch gradually soothed him of the urgency with which he kissed her so intensely. 

Eventually, he pulled away from her and looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed, and her already full lips were still pursed from the kiss. He let out a groan, before capturing them again with a much more gentle, savory kiss.

This time Anita broke it off, panting and leaned her head against his shoulder. 

“Over a year now,” Corny whispered. “I’ve been wanting to do that for over a year.” 

“Since the first time you saw me at my auntie’s store?” She asked splaying her hands over his chest.

“No… the day I saw you wearing a white dress trying to tinkering with an engine you knew nothing about how to fix. You did all that and didn’t get even a spot on your dress. Sassed the hell out of me too,” Corny confessed still holding her to him. 

Anita smiled against his shoulder. “You deserved it scaring me like that.”

They were silent for a moment before Anita spoke again.

“You liked the song?” 

Corny had to bite back an angry retort at that. She had no right going and turning his life upside down with a three minute long song and then second guessing herself about it. He wanted to shake her, kiss her, or reassure her. He settled on doing two of the three.

“You completely wrecked me on live television, and looked me in the eye the whole time,” He answered her after he pulled away. She looked confused and so he continued. 

“You gave me no warning Anita, you just poured your heart out to me- for me on live television. And even though you should know already how fervently I love you, you ask me that? You have some nerve.”

He had to refrain from laughing from disbelief. Anita gaped at him like a fish before giving him a bashful smile. 

“I love you too. It’s the one song I could not stand letting anyone else sing, because I wrote it for you,” She responded and he kissed her forehead.

Neither cared to think about tomorrow. Tomorrow meant that they had to have answers. They were satisfied with the simple joys of today. 

 

~Chapter Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but Anita James. All music is credited to their writers/performers in text. I do not own Hairspray nor any of its associated character. 
> 
> Note: This is a period piece. Be aware that the thoughts of these characters will reflect that.
> 
> A Woman, A Lover, A Friend you for reading Chapter 1. Please tell me what you think.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s part two.. This part is less music and more story. Beware, there is one derogatory use of a racial slur in this chapter. Also, I think this story is going to end up being three chapters. On a final note, we are caught up to the movie/musical in this chapter. So, there are very slight plot changes. 
> 
> Note: The story is a period piece. The thoughts and actions of the characters are a reflection of their time.
> 
> Disclaimer: In case I didn’t state it before, I do not own Hairspray the musical nor either of the movies. Some of the language in this chapter are borrowed from movie scenes. I do not own them. Also, The Lovings are an actual couple with historical significance. I don’t own ANY of the music in this chapter.

December 1963

Corny and Anita both knew that they would be unsatisfied with anyone else. Yet, they could not delude themselves into thinking that they were going to have an easy time being together. Their relationship was illegal in Maryland and could have resulted in Corny losing his show and fortune and Anita potentially losing her life. Yet, Corny still fought for openness about their relationship much to Anita's chagrin.

“How am I wrong for wanting to take my girl out for a real date Anita?” Corny asked as they sat in the practice room. A thick, half-eaten slice Devil’s Food Cake was abandoned on the table next to the piano. 

“You’re wrong because you’re letting your emotions get too far in the way of logic. Don’t you understand that I would love nothing more than to go see a picture with you? Or, for us have a nice dinner downtown? But, we cannot do that James, because if the wrong person saw us we would be in legitimate danger. And, I'm sorry to say but your side of town has a lot of the wrong kind of people.” Anita scolded.

“You don’t think that I wouldn’t be careful? I wouldn’t let anything happen to you Anita,” Corny vowed. She had taken to calling him by his first name upon occasion. 

“As much as I believe that, you’re only one man. Hatred does not stop for one man. It is a speeding train that will run through whatever crosses it's path. Even if you were to defend us as much as you are able, you can’t be there all the time. You know that,” Anita pointed out placing her hand on his arm to placate him. 

Corny stubbornly avoided her gaze. 

“What about when it’s our anniversary and I want to do something nice for you?” Corny questioned bitterly. 

“Corny, you have an imagination. Try using it. Nothing’s stopped you from inviting me over to your place for dinner. It’s private property. Yes, I’ll have to sneak in to hide from your neighbors, but it can work,” Anita suggested and Corny toyed with the idea. 

“There are large trees that cover the perimeter. Only spot without one is the entrance to the drive way. The backyard is completely obscured, the front yard only mostly. We could have a night time picnic in the yard next to the gardenias in the spring. For now, we’ll have to settle for the dining room because it’s far too cold out for a picnic,” Corny mused out loud as he began to pace. He continued to ramble on about other possibilities. 

Anita rolled her eyes in mild annoyance. He was always stressing himself out trying to figure out everything at once. He never left room for spontaneity or flexibility outside of work. This paired with Anita’s more relaxed approach, letting things take time, was a constant conflict for them.

“Corny, baby, come sit down,” Anita urged and reached out for one of his hands. He grasped hers and she led him over to the piano bench to sit down. Anita stood behind him and ran her hands across his shoulders and back, her fingertips teasingly skimming the base of his neck. 

The tense man eventually relaxed under her touch, and she kissed his cheek as she continued to rub away the pent up frustration. 

Corny had told her one day that every time she touched him, he felt calm. She laughed them off as the charming words of a lover, but secretly felt the same way. When he held her, she could stop thinking about the world and focus on him.

“Now, don’t forget about the new rendition of the songs for the Christmas episode,” Anita reminded. 

Velma had demanded that instead of writing songs for the December month, that Anita come up with new, trendy renditions of preexisting Christmas music written by White stars. It was her way of insulting the young singer/songwriter, but Anita took it in stride. Velma had never gotten over Anita’s performance during Negro Day those years ago. She felt the Black woman was being uppity and did not hesitate to say so.

“Sing it for me again. I seemed to have forgotten,” Corny teased and Anita humored him. 

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas  
Make the Yuletide gay  
From now on  
Our troubles will be miles away.” 

She sang into his ear with her arms crossed over his over his chest. She was leaning over his shoulder. He smiled and leaned back against her. 

Anita stopped and kissed his cheek. “You good now?”

“Never better.” 

“Good. Now, take me home.”

—

Christmas snuck up on the occupants of Baltimore. Sure the chill and snowfall were reminders of the season, but for those working paycheck to paycheck, time was no friend. In the more affluent parts of the city, a person strolling down a street could hear the tinkling sounds of holiday parties, and smell hams prepared by ambitious young wives or their unappreciated maids and housekeepers. Children snuck out of bed to watch from a crack in the door as their parents smoked and gossiped with colleagues that they loved to hate in the privacy of their homes. 

Corny had spent the holiday alone for years, happily choosing not to be apart of the events of his neighbors. This year, however, he was eager to spend even part of the holiday with Anita. Maybelle wanted to invite him over, but Anita, bashful yet resolute, stressed the fact that they wanted to enjoy some alone time together. 

They came to an agreement that the couple would spend just the evening together. Maybelle’s family did most of their activities in the morning and early afternoon traditionally. So, Anita would not miss any family time. 

Anita felt her breath catch as they pulled up to the mansion that Corny had called home in his childhood.The house was a three story brick-front with white pillars sandwiching a blue front door. While not being the most ostentatious house in the neighborhood, it was an elegant display of the old money Corny had told her about. She grew pale at the thought of how above her Corny was socially. He was a young man who was rich, handsome, and White. She was poor, a woman, and Black. Attractiveness did not do much to help her after race came into the equation. 

These feelings were recurring. Even before Corny pursued her, Anita was bothered by the fact that their relationship was riddled with inequalities in ways that neither of them had control over. Many a time she had debated whether or not she should just stay away from him. He would be hurt, but over time he would realize she was right, and would fall in love with a pretty White woman who he could take out to dinner and woo in public. A woman who could accompany him to Ultra Clutch events. A woman he could marry. Anita loved Corny, even if he saw her a stubborn and a killjoy. She knew that being with her would only make his life harder. She wanted him to have a real chance at happiness. So, while she loved him, she was prepared to let him go. 

“Your home…it’s beautiful,” Anita haltingly observed as they pulled down the long driveway. 

Corny smiled a little. “It is, but it’s a bit big for just one person. It gets a little lonely every now and then if I can be frank with you. I was thinking about getting a dog” 

“I can only imagine. Maybelle’s house is so small, you see, that it makes you dream of space like this.” 

The car finally stopped in front of the house.

“One day you will,” Corny suggested. “And then all of my loneliness will go away and you’ll have all the space that you need.” He was so matter of fact that Anita swallowed down her worries, and nodded. She didn't want to ruin the moment. 

He quickly exited the vehicle and opened the door for Anita. Corny grasped her hand to help her from the car and did not let her go until the front door closed behind them. 

Anita was surprised to see that the interior of the home was far more modern than she expected. The only exceptions she could see were the foyer and sitting rooms. 

“I had some work done after dad passed away. The place had not really been updated much since it had been built, and he was resistant to change after mom died. Trust me, this place needed work,” Corny explained and Anita simply nodded, too in awe to say much. 

“Let me just take this off and I can grab your coat,” He said with his back turned to her as he began to pull off his heavy winter coat.

She began to pull off her long overcoat and revealed a cocktail dress. She had saved for months to buy the material for it. It was a deep, green velvet with long sleeves that fell off the shoulders. The pencil skirt hugged her in waves of thick material that she intended to make her look demure. With curves like hers, even a little could seem like a lot. While she wasn’t ashamed of her looks, her personal tastes were more conservative. It being a special occasion, however, made her more willing to dress up.

“I hope you like dinner. I worked really ha-“ Corny’s voice broke off as he turned to see her standing there. 

“How do you manage to do this to me every time?” He wondered a loud. 

“Do what?” Anita asked nervously bunching her coat in her hands. Maybe she should have gone for a more subtle dress.

“Take my breath away. You’re always so stunning,” Corny placed his hand on her cheek and Anita grew bashful. “I wish every day were a holiday if it mean I got to see you dressed up like this.” 

Anita nudged him feeling a little embarrassed by his words, but murmured her thanks. He noticed that she was always this bashful when he paid her compliments. She’d accept them graciously, but would always be reserved. 

Corny kissed her cheek and hung her coat before taking her to the dining room. The table was large and round, and Corny put both of the settings next to each other. 

The meal consisted of cornice hens, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens, cornbread, and lemon cake for dessert. 

“Wow, Corny it looks so delicious. You made this all by yourself?” Anita turned to look at her suitor who smiled. 

“Most of it. Maybelle helped with the cake and collard greens though. I just had to warm them up. I’ve been practicing this meal for weeks just to get it right,” Corny pulled out her seat and stood until she was settled. 

Corny wouldn’t say it out loud, but he always felt the desire to impress Anita. He knew what she was intimidated by his wealth, and she never actively pursued him for it. He wanted to prove to her that he was capable of doing things on his own. He wanted to show her that he was willing to learn the things that his wealth and privilege had never demanded of him—not necessarily for her, but also for himself. She made him want to be better.

The young couple chatted intimately as they ate Christmas dinner together. Anita gushed over his cooking, and Corny boasted of his technique. Both hoped that it was the first of many holidays that they would spend together. 

Later into the night, Corny started a roaring fire in his living room. They both cradled mugs in their hands—hot chocolate for her, coffee for him. Anita hated coffee, and said no matter how much sugar and cream was added it would still be bitter to her. She preferred tea which Corny couldn’t stand. 

“Would you like to see your gift now?” Anita asked and smiled at him.

Corny bit back a lewd joke knowing that she’d probably smack his arm and get flustered. He liked the flustered part, but didn’t the grumpy Anita part that usually followed. Plus, he was way too eager to see his gift than to risk spoiling the moment with a rude remark.

“Yes, and I’ll go get yours as well.” 

Realizing she had left his gift in the car, Anita walked out to go get it while he rummaged in the hall closet. 

She stepped off of his porch and headed towards the car that was no more than three yards away. 

“Are you lost girl?” An unfamiliar voice called out that made her freeze in her steps. 

On the other side of the car was one of Corny’s neighbors. He was a squat, bulbous man, with meaty extremities. Even in the darkness, his ruddy complexion managed to stand out. His hair was cut short, and seemed greasy. His eyes drooped with heavy bags beneath them, and his lips were thinned into a severe line. 

Anita immediately became submissive as these encounters had taught her over the years. Her eyes went straight to the ground and her body was tense. 

“I’m just here to assist Mr. Collins, sir.” It was the best response she could think of. 

“We’ll see about that.” The man said as he rounded the car and grabbed her by the arm. He dragged Anita up the steps to the house and knocked loudly on the door. She was not resisting, but he did not allow her the chance to catch pace with him, leading to her stumbling most of the way.

He smelled like sweat, eggnog, and schnapps forcing Anita to resist the urge to gag. 

Corny opened the door with a smile that immediately fell from his face at the sight before him. 

“Good evening Francis, what can I do for you?” Corny asked his body tensing.

Francis sneered. “I found her snooping around your front yard. You know her?”

Corny’s eyes hardened at the sight of the hand wrapped around Anita’s arm. His temper was flaring up, but the look in Anita’s eyes stilled him. He wanted so badly to air everything out in her defense, but took a breath instead. His reaction to this could help or harm her. He had to be careful.

“Yes, I do. She’s my...assistant for the holiday. She just came out to the car to grab something for me. Anita, you can go ahead back inside,” Corny commanded and Anita carefully removed herself from Francis’ slackened grip before walking into the house with her head down. 

“I was just looking out for you Corny. They have it in their heads these days that they can just go wherever they want. I saw her just waltzing out of the front door. I figured she was here for a reason, but she should know to go out around the back like the help is supposed to. Anyway, I was originally coming over to wish you happy holidays, and extend the invitation to our New Year’s party next week. Gladys will be making her famous pecan pie.” 

The only thing that pie was famous for was chipping teeth and loosening bowels.

“Thanks Francis, I’ll try to stop by,” Corny responded, still not smiling. Francis left, and Corny stayed at the door until Francis was out of sight. 

Corny walked over to his car and picked up the gift wrapped package that had fallen to the ground before walking back into the house. 

Anita was not in the living or dining room. 

“Anita?” Corny called out, setting the package next to the gift he had neatly wrapped for her. A light from down the hall was on and he followed it to his bathroom. 

Anita sat on the edge of the the bathtub with her back to the door. Her dress was unzipped so that he could see her bared shoulder and part of a nude colored brassiere. Her arm was pulled out of the sleeve and there was a red splotch on her arm where Francis’ grip had been. 

“It’s not going to bruise, but it sure looks angry,” Anita’s voice was watery. She didn’t turn to look at him, but Corny knew that there were tears streaming down her face. 

For the first time in their relationship, Corny was confronted with the fact that Anita was right. Despite all of his ranting and raving about being open about them, he took the safe route the moment he was tested. Because at the end of it all, Corny could not walk down the street holding her hand for the world to see. He could not send her flowers, or call her at work. There was a thin line they were straddling, and he had been ready to jump off and take her down with him. He was ashamed. 

Corny grabbed a small towel and drenched it in cold water. He lightly pressed it against the red parts of her skin. They both ignored the drops running down her arm. 

He sat, wondering what he could possibly say to make it okay. 

“Stay here tonight,” Corny murmured. He tried to find the words to let her know that she would be safe here with him and that he wanted nothing more than to be a comfort to her. The scene on the porch showed that he could not guarantee those things.

“Every logical part of me is telling me that we both need to walk away right now,” Anita pulled away from him and slipped back into her dress with ease. She zipped it, and wiped her eyes with the towel, leaving streaks of black on the material from her mascara. She knew a laundry trick to get the stains out that she'd tell him.

Corny’s heart plummeted as he fumbled for the words to say to change her mind. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he would not let himself cry. 

“I knew that something like this would happen at some point, and I knew that we were going to have to confront this. It’s wrong and it’s hard. There’s nothing we can do to change things, and maybe it would be best for us to find partners of our own kind. That’s what the reasonable side of me is saying. But, at the end of it all, I just don’t think that I could give you up,” Anita finished and looked up at him. 

Corny stood and bent over to scoop her into his arms. He cradled her body against his tightly, as though she were his lifeline. 

After collecting himself, Corny set Anita down and led her to his room on the third floor. He settled her down on his bed and rummaged around for something for her to sleep in. In his old room, he still had some clothing from his teenaged years that would probably fit her. So he grabbed an old, but soft shirt, and a pair of old gym shorts for her to wear. 

He passed them to her and grabbed his own set before leaving the room to give her privacy. He waited and extra fifteen minutes before walking back into the room. She had loosed her hair and put it in one large braid that extended around the crown of her head. 

He joined her in bed and pulled her close to him. Anita laid her head on his chest. 

“I’m sorry Anita,” Corny choked out as tears welled up in his eyes once more. Again, he tried to hold back but a few prevailed. 

Anita looked at him, wiped his tears away and pressed a chaste kiss against his lips. 

“There was nothing more you could have done. You made the right choice,” Anita explained.

They both fell asleep wishing that those words were not true. 

~~~

“Corny…Corny…” Anita whispered the next morning as she lightly shook him awake. 

“Anita, baby, go back to sleep,” Corny moaned in response pulling her close again. 

“Corny wake up,” She persisted and he finally opened his eyes. 

He immediately sat up straight and looked at her—shockingly alert for someone who wouldn’t dare open his eyes mere moments before. 

“I just wanted you to open your gift?” Anita stated lamely and Corny’s face broke into a small smile. He pulled her back down into his arms, reveling at the amount of contact they were sharing. 

“Anita, why aren’t you upset with me?” Corny asked after a moment of silence.

“You’re not the one that manhandled me in the middle of the night.” 

There was a distinctive flash of anger in Corny’s eyes that Anita was unfamiliar with. “I should have done something. I wanted to,” He struggled to find the words. “I was so angry.”

He sighed. “But at the same time, I remembered that this wasn’t just about what I wanted, but about your safety. Don’t get me wrong, I will regret that decision for the rest of my life. It was the best choice, but also the wrong choice.” 

“James, you did what was best for us in the long-term. I cannot consciously tell you that what you did was wrong, when it was the best thing for us. That doesn’t make sense. Yes, I hated it. Yes, it hurt us. Yet, I am grateful that that’s all it was,” Anita declared. 

“I had to lie period, and that will never cease to bother me Anita. We deserved more than that.”

Anita turned to grab his present from the night stand.

“Why don’t you open your gift?” She asked and he sighed before reaching for the box. 

“You can’t avoid this subject forever…” He grumbled as he began to tear the paper away. 

He opened the box itself and his eyes lit up immediately. 

In the box were three items. The first was a suit jacket made of a shiny material. It was dull gold and black with an almost imperceptible striped pattern. The lining of the neck, pockets, and sleeves was completely black satin. It was so vibrant and flashy, and it suited him perfectly. It was paired with a silky, black bowtie. He just needed to get some pants and shoes to go along with it. 

“I love these! They’ll be perfect for the first Miss Teenage Hairspray competition in spring.” 

Corny picked up the other item and turned over in his hands very delicately. It was a black wrist-watch with a gold face. Dash marks denoted the hours with the exception of the 12. A familiar insignia with the word “Cornavin” rested just below the 12. 

“Anita…” Corny breathed. “How did you get your hands on a Cornavin watch?” 

“Well, my dad sent it to me. He was playing at a club in Switzerland for a while this past summer and made friends with the incredibly wealthy owner. The owner had a ton of these watches and gave a few to my dad for the hell of it. He sent one to me and suggested that I ‘give it away or pawn it for some extra pocket money’,” Anita explained as she proceeded to fasten watch onto his wrist. 

“I even got the local jewelry dealer to engrave it with your initials.” It was obvious that Anita was incredibly proud of the gift that she had given him. 

Corny set the gift box with the jacket aside and pulled Anita into his lap. She let out a shrill yelp as his mouth grazed her neck and shoulders.

“Corny!” 

He pulled back and regarded her earnestly. “You want me to stop?” 

Anita carefully considered his question before shaking her head. 

“No, I don’t.” 

“Good, because I have every intent on showing you how much I love you and your gift…if you’d allow me.”

He smiled impishly at her, before kissing her. She slowly leaned backwards, and he acclimated quickly to their new position.

And in this place where no one could harm or judge them, love and pleasure prevailed. 

—

The humdrum of life had regained its throne after the reign of the holidays. Corny and Anita were back on their typical routine of churning out songs and keeping their relationship under wraps. Corny no longer pleaded with Anita to go public, but he did insist that she spend more and more time with him at his house. She would say no, but then his pouting about loneliness would win her over. 

First, Anita noticed that she was feeling a lot more tired than usual. She was getting sick in the mornings, and the smell of certain things were driving her crazy. After she realized that the package of sanitary napkins she had purchased in anticipation of her cycle went unused after more than a month, she knew something was wrong.

“Aunt Maybelle, I need to talk to you,” Anita said one evening after Inez and Seaweed headed to bed. 

“What is it child?” Maybelle turned to her niece with an unfamiliar glint in her eye that made Anita feel queasy. It was as if Maybelle knew. 

Anita went for the method that would get it over with quickly.

“I think I may be…expecting. I just realized this, and I am so sorry to bring this kind of trouble to your house. I was raised better than this, and I realize that I should have waited. Corny and I can’t get married though because it’s illegal here and you know all about what happened to the Lovings. I am prepared to move out, to keep this out of your home,“ Anita rambled on at a speed that rivaled her aunt’s typical tempo. 

Maybelle was silent for once and her mouth was pulled into a thin line. Anita’s words trailed off as she waited to hear what her aunt had to say. 

“Have you told Mr. Collins yet?” She asked. Anita shook her head in response. 

“Tell him. And you two are going to probably do exactly what the Lovings did while trying to not get caught. Anita, I’m not proud of what you’ve gotten yourself into. In fact, I’m rather disappointed to you. Now is the time to play it smart though.” 

Anita nodded silently, unable to meet her aunt’s eyes. 

“Once you start to show, I can’t have you working in the record store no more. People will start to talk and my business will go bad. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to go and put you out though. You’re my niece and I love you. If this is a product of love, I will not leave you to fend for yourself. We will figure the rest out after the kids go to school. Now, go to bed,” Maybelle commanded as she swept out of the room. Her gold robe flowed behind her gracefully. 

Anita cried herself to sleep.

—

“James, we need to talk,” Anita spoke over dinner a week later. She spent most of the time pushing her food around her plate, not in the mood to tell him that the smell of basil in the spaghetti made her feel sick. 

“Is everything okay?” Corny asked looking at her concerned. Anita hadn’t been herself for a while, and he had been waiting for her to open up. 

There was silence.

“Well, there’s no other way to say this. I'm just going to tell it to you straight. Corny, I’m pregnant,” Anita confessed and a rush of tears immediately followed. The emotions of the past two week had bubbled up, and she released a wretched sob. She heard him let out and expletive and suddenly the desire to hide away was overwhelming. Of course he was angry, she thought. She had gone and ruined everything. 

The clanging of metal on a china plate was loud and Corny immediately pushed back from the table to rush over to her. 

“Anita, breathe. Please calm down. You don’t want to put a strain on the baby,” Corny’s voice was soothing and comforting. He wrapped his arms around her has she sobbed and heaved. For a moment, she tried to push him away, but he held fast. 

“Sweetheart, please relax.” His hands rubbed circles on her back. 

Anita’s frantic sobbing slowed to short hiccups. Corny wiped her face off with one of the cloth napkins on the table. 

“Are you sure, Anita?” Corny asked looking her deep in her eyes. 

“Yes,” She whispered.

“Everything will be okay. I know exactly what to do,” Corny soothed and kissed her forehead. 

He then turned his attention towards her stomach and splayed his right hand across it. He pressed his head to her stomach for a minute, before looking up at her.

“Sounds like we need to make a trip to DC soon. I have a connection out there that would marry us without any trouble,” Corny pushed some of her hair out of her face.

“I don’t want you to marry me just because you got me pregnant Corny. I want it to be something that you genuinely want to do. I mean it’s still illegal for us to be married out here in Maryland anyway. It’s very dangerous and you know what happened to the Lovings,” Anita exploded suddenly. Corny backed away from her. 

“What do you think we’ve been doing this whole time Anita? Playing a game? Of course I’ve wanted to marry you. I’ve just been hoping that the law would be changed sooner rather than later, but now I have more than enough reason to try to marry you as soon as I can. My only regret is that it won’t be the ceremony that you really deserve,” Corny admitted and Anita's body relaxed.

“I don't need anything fancy. So long as you're there, it’ll be good enough for me.” 

On the following Saturday, the couple had made the trip to the DC courthouse and back to Baltimore within mere hours. Corny insisted that they dress nicely, and so she wore the same dress from her performance of “At Last” and he wore a plain black suit. Corny’s connection was an old judge who was cheeky, though very kind, and an apparently old friend of Corny’s father. He didn’t so much as bat a lash at the couple who requested to be married. The couple returned to Corny's home and had dinner alone.

~~

“I can’t believe VonTussle stole my goddamn song,” Anita said loudly throwing down song lyrics on the piano bench. Her gold wedding band glinted in the lighting of the room. 

“Well, she also threatened to fire me from my own show. So, I don’t put anything this conniving past her,” Corny conceded as he calmly removed his jacket. 

“New Girls In Town was so much more powerful with The Dynamites singing it, and she knew it. So, she snuck behind my back and took the song away from me,” Anita ground out through her teeth. 

“Honey, think of the baby,” Corny reminded her as he guided her to the nearest chair. Anita was not showing much at all considering that she was only around 10 weeks. You would have thought she was further along with the way Corny fussed. He was constantly hovering over her.

That hovering wasn’t just the result of his concern. After they were wed, Corny became much more amorous. Even now, while her body was making the smallest changes, he seemed to be intent on marking every change with his hands, and his mouth, and his…  
Anita quickly shook her head and focused on the matter at hand. 

“Corny me being angry is not going to harm the child. But, it does make me want to harm someone else,” Anita gave him a sharp look that tore him from his reverie. He knew that look well. 

“What did I do?” He whined. Anita rolled her eyes. 

“You could have told her that you wanted a different song. I thought the whole point of this job was so that I wouldn’t have to deal with them stealing my songs anymore!” 

Corny realized then that he had underestimated her anger. There was an edge of hurt to her voice. 

Anita rubbed her temples, a sign that she had a headache and Corny felt a little guilty. He really hadn’t tried to stop Velma from doing what she did. After voicing a weak protest, he just sort of stood by and let it happen, figuring that Velma would change her mind and use the original song Anita wrote. It wasn’t like Anita was in a position to stop the woman either. Corny had far more power than his wife, and it was high time he exercised it.

A few moments of silence passed and Anita sighed. 

“Look, let’s just get this song out of the way so that I can go back to Maybelle’s to rest,” Anita conceded and Corny nodded. 

She still lived primarily at her aunt’s house, but spent her weekends with Corny. This arrangement was the safest for them to avoid too much suspicion. Corny hated it of course, but getting his way in this relationship was surprisingly difficult. 

“Anita, I am sorry.” He caressed her cheek and she nodded. 

“I know.”

She started to play the piano in an upbeat tune that was a little unexpected. 

“Corny, do me a favor and clap on beat to this. I want to hear if it adds to the music at all,” Anita requested and then began to sing. 

“Nothing you could say could tear me away from my guy,  
(My guy)  
Nothing you could do 'cause I'm stuck like glue to my guy.  
(My guy)  
I'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter,  
Like birds of a feather we stick together,  
I'm tellin' you from the start I can't be torn apart from my guy.” 

(“My Guy” Mary Wells, 1964) 

Anita could not help but smile as she went through the song because of how cheerful it was. She had written it with her husband in mind, and she hoped that he would catch on to that. 

He kissed her cheek after she finished. 

“I love you,” He whispered. 

“I love you too.” 

—

Maybelle was throwing another potluck party at the record store for the hell of it. It was a Friday night, and everyone from the neighborhood was welcome to attend.

“Go ahead and set that roast next to the Hog’s Head Cheese,” Maybelle instructed Anita who had the pot in her hands. There was a platter of greens, yams, and cornbread already set out. 

“This sure does smell good Maybelle!” Old Wilbur called from the register where he seemed to be a permanent fixture. 

“Let me make you a plate right now before the young ones take all the food. There will be more when everyone else brings their dishes, but I don’t want to risk you not getting any,” Maybelle offered and Anita smiled. 

“Aunt Maybelle, I can take care of the rest. You go get ready for the party,” Anita suggested and Maybelle kissed her cheek in thanks. Anita was already dressed in a sleeveless red dress that flared at the waist. She would not be showing much at all for months, but she wanted to be cautious. 

The party picked up by the time the kids got in. One of Seaweed’s cousins from his father’s side was dancing with Anita while Seaweed introduced his mother to the three white kids that had followed him home. 

Anita walked over to the group just in time to hear the one she recognized as Tracy say, “This is so afrotastic.” Anita let out a loud snort at the eccentric young woman. 

When Seaweed introduced Penny, Maybelle and Anita shared a look. Apparently, she was not the only one in the family crossing some lines. Maybelle simply shook her head and smiled. 

“Hi, I’m Anita Hill, Seaweed’s older cousin,” Anita said and shared a smile with them all. “Don’t forget to help yourselves to some food and have a good time. Also, Tracy, I’ve seen you on the show and you’ve got some smooth moves girl.” Anita winked at them all and headed towards the stack of dance records. 

Corny had raved for days about the plus sized young dancer that had stolen his show. Anita longed for the chance to get to see it for herself, but Velma’s ban still stood firm. 

After she walked away, Tracy turned to Seaweed. “She looks familiar. Does she perform with you all on Negro Day?” 

“Just once when the show was still new. She hasn’t been on since, but she writes a lot of the music,” Seaweed shrugged and they all went to dance. 

Over every bit of good news, looms a cloud that patiently waits to cast a shadow over joy. The cloud had loomed in wait of Negro Day, from the moment they were finally given the opportunity. Now, the shadow was cast. Maybelle announced the news that Negro Day was cancelled. There was only one culprit and the situation had Velma’s name written all over it. Anita could feel her heart drop at the news. The sounds of everyone’s protests were deaf to her ears as she simply stared forward. 

Anita walked to the store’s backdoor and walked outside. She slid down the wall and attempted to process what she had just been told. Her music, her solace were both on that show. That was where she could always turn to release herself. She never put her heart into the music that she wrote for the regular participants of the Corny Collins show. Her soul was in the Negro Day showcase. Now that Negro Day was gone, there would be no reason for Anita to even bother with songs for the regular show. Everyone was being pushed out.

“Anita,” Little Inez’s voice broke through the silence. Anita looked up to see her cousin’s tear streaked face staring out from the doorway. Inez was the best dancer in the house. Maybelle saved every extra dollar she made these days so that her daughter could take classes in wait for her to debut on the show. Now, Inez would never get that opportunity. Anita was struck by the selfishness of her own sadness in wake of Inez’s dashed dreams.

Anita immediately stood up and wrapped her arms around her cousin. 

“You’re gonna dance one day baby,” Anita spoke during the tight embrace. Inez’s hot tears soaked through her dress. “You’re gonna be the best dancer there ever was.” 

—

The day of the protest started off badly for Anita and only got worse. She had had zero contact with Corny since the news about Negro Day broke out, and she was worried. Without any contact from him, she went on with attending the march, though her gut told her that something was wrong.

The march started off well. They were chanting and singing, laughing and crying. Suddenly, they met the blockade, and everything went south. In mere minutes, Anita found herself being roughly handled by police officers. An officer was holding her onto the hood of a police cruiser with her arms being pulled around her back. Maybelle and Seaweed were receiving the exact same treatment. 

“Officer please, I’m not resisting. I’m pregnant,” Anita recalled saying to the mostly deaf ears of the public servants. Anita tried to steel herself, as if tensing her body would protect the child in her stomach. 

It wasn’t until they were in their cells that Anita allowed herself to weep. She put her hands protectively on her stomach and allowed the angry tears to stream down her face. There was no reason to any of this. No one said anything to anyone else. Shell shocked and tired, everyone just stared at the floor wondering how long it would be until they could get out. 

Hours later, it was announced that their bail was posted and each of the protestors left their cells to see none other than Wilbur Turnblad and a distraught looking Corny Collins. 

His bloodshot eyes met Anita’s red-rimmed ones and then immediately flicked towards her stomach. The protesters dispersed, walking in small groups back to their side of town. The force of the resistance had waned. Everyone was tired. 

Soon, the only people left were Wilbur Turnblad, Corny, Anita, Maybelle, and Seaweed. Maybelle looked at her niece and her husband, before wrapping her arm around her son and walking toward Turnblad’s car. He had offered to give them a ride home, not wanting to leave them susceptible to the anger of the White people who lived on this side of town. 

“Come home with me please,” Corny begged and Anita nodded dumbly. Corny guided her to his car with a hand on her lower back. Anita couldn’t help but look around to make sure no one was watching as they climbed into the car. 

Corny immediately sped off. 

—

The ride to the Collin’s mansion was filled with tension. Corny’s eyes were trained on the road ahead of him, and Anita fiddled with her fingers struggling to find something to say. Eventually, she just cradled her hands over her stomach, and his eyes flitted over their new position before his jaw clenched tighter. She wanted to say something, anything, but the words just wouldn’t come to her. 

As soon as Corny stopped the car, he ran around the vehicle and opened Anita’s door. Once she stepped out the car, he rushed her into the house silently, and locked up behind her.

They went upstairs to his bedroom, and he gestured for her to lay down. 

“Corny, I-“ Anita began, but he held up his hand to silence her. She pulled off her dirtied dress, and removed her shoes and stockings. She was left in only a slip, and crawled into the bed.

“Anita, I spent all of yesterday arguing with producers to not cancel Negro Day. I waited for hours for you to return my calls, because I actually risked calling you, and then I see you on live television marching. And don’t get me wrong, I would have even joined in had anyone bothered to tell me. The thing that really got me was watching a police officer slam my distraught, pregnant wife onto the hood of a police cruiser on live television. And this same officer, who I wanted nothing more than to strangle with my own two hands, is the first man I see at the police station when I go to bail out my wife and her friends. And this man argues with me about, and I quote, why I want to bail out a bunch of ‘darkies’ anyway. I get to see my wife in jail. My pregnant wife. And I can’t even so much as hug her or kiss her or ask about the baby when I first see her, because my marriage is treated like a dirty secret, known to only four people,” He spoke in a falsely calm voice.

Corny began to undress from his usual suit. His shaking hands made it difficult to unbutton his shirt and loosen his tie.

“I’m sorry,” Anita whispered. 

“Is the baby okay?” He asked curtly. 

“Yes.”  
“Are you okay?” His voice softened. 

“In a matter of speaking,” Anita replied. She was overwhelmed by all of the emotions she experienced, specifically fear. 

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped forward. Relief flooded his body.

She moved to comfort him, but found herself on his lap and in his arms. He laid his head in the crook of her neck. 

“I have never been so terrified in my life. I wasn’t even there to help you,” He told her, his voiced choking slightly. 

“I was scared too, but you can't beat yourself up about this. You can’t save me from everything James,” Anita responded. 

“That’s bullshit,” He rebuked stubbornly and Anita only sighed.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Corny asked over and over again. He radiated with fear and anger. The skirt of her slip was crumpled in his hands. 

“I’m okay,” Anita murmured as she ran her hands down his back and over his shoulders. 

Corny pulled away after he had composed himself, and then pressed his lips to Anita’s. 

“I love you so much,” He reminded her, and she smiled. 

“I love you too.” 

Anita slid off of Corny’s lap and winced a little as she stretched her body. “Corny, I know we need to talk, but I need a bath.”

He was up and running water in the en suite as soon as she stood up. Anita began to remove her dress and other articles of clothing so that she could assess the damage. There was an angry bruise on her abdomen—the area in contact with the hood of the police car. Anita had been bruising easily as a pregnancy symptom, it didn't seem any more worrisome that the bruise she had gotten to weeks prior when she nudged a door closed with her hip. 

A sharp intake of breath interrupted her private consideration of her bruised body. 

“I’m going to call the doctor,” Corny announced and turned to go walk out of the room. 

“Corny wait! Sweetheart I bruise easily now because of the baby,” Anita explained rushing after him and tugging at his arm. Corny was not having it.

“So, that means that I shouldn’t call a doctor? That makes no sense Anita,” He argued. He tried to pull away from her gently, though his actions belied the anger brewing behind his blue eyes. 

“You should not call a doctor because of the fact that it’s not safe. A lot would be jeopardized if you announced to the world that your pregnant, Black wife was manhandled by a police officer. The baby is fine. I didn’t feel any cramping or sharp pains at all. Just a general soreness from the bruising,” Anita reassured him. 

His eyes closed for a moment as he reigned in his temper. 

“This is all so stupid,” he growled through clenched teeth. “None of this makes sense. The violence is senseless. The hatred is senseless. Segregation is senseless. I will never understand it even though we are forced to bear with it. However, a child does not deserve to be brought into the hatred and violence of the life that its parents are forced to lead. Our child has had its first taste of it before even being born.” 

“Corny, it is senseless. You’re right about that. There’s something you must understand. If you did not want to bring a child into this world, you should have never taken me to bed. You should have never pursued me. We knew the risk we were taking. There is no guarantee of progress, we can only hope and pray. No one can avoid the sting of hatred, but we can make sure that we love our child with all of our might. We can make sure that this little boy or little girl is loved. They'll be strong enough to face anything with that,” Anita reassured him. Corny’s body relaxed. 

“Just like their mother,” Corny murmured mostly to himself. Anita gave him a small smile. 

Corny turned captured her lips in a brief, but desperate kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head against her neck. 

“Let’s get you into the bathtub,” He murmured and guided her there. 

— 

On the day of the competition, Corny insisted that Anita come to the studio.

“But, Corny, the place is going to be crawling with police officers. I’m not trying to get arrested again. Plus, I don’t have anything to wear to that fancy event,” Anita argued. 

“No you won’t. You’ll be there early with me to run over songs last minute. And then, I’ll stow you in my dressing room until the finale. Trust me, the finale is definitely something you’ll want to see. As for attire, I hope you didn’t think I would come unprepared,” Corny explained as he walked over to his closet. He pulled out two garment bags and laid them each on the bed. 

“Now, I had this made with idea that if your baby bump was larger, we could mask it a little more in this particular dress style. But, it looks like that isn’t a worry just yet,” Corny continued as he unzipped the first garment bag. 

Inside was a dress that made Anita squeal with glee. It was a champagne color, with a Chantilly lace overlay. It had a boat neck, and flared at the waist. The inlaid material was satiny and soft to the touch. The three-quarter sleeves were made of the same lace as the overlay. It was a beautiful, but simple dress that suited her well.

Anita ran her hands over the material and mulled over the fact that it was not unlike something she would wear on her wedding day if she had been given the chance. The handiwork was so skillful and Anita only knew of one person who could capture such detail and beauty when given the right material to do so. 

“You and Maybelle are always in cahoots behind my back,” Anita joked with shining eyes. “This is so beautiful Corny. When did you even ask her to make this?” 

“Right after the wedding. I felt bad that you didn’t get to have the traditional wedding that you deserved. I was going to try to have a private get together here, but it wasn’t safe enough. I decided that this event would be a great time for you to wear it,” Corny explained and Anita frowned. 

“Wait why? It’s not like I’m allowed to participate in the event. I can’t even sit in the audience,” She questioned and Corny gave her a sly grin.

“You’ll see,” He responded and ushered her towards the bathroom to get ready. “Now, we need to leave in about an hour to be there on time.” 

Anita rushed into the restroom screeching about how an hour was not nearly enough time to look decent. Corny simply chuckled. 

In 45 minutes, she bathed, put on the dress, and arranged her hair into a voluminous up-do. The thing that took the longest was her makeup. She lined her eyes with coal, and brushed on the corner store eyeshadow she’d borrowed from Maybelle. 

“Anita, honey, we’re going to be late,” Corny called up the stairs. He was already dressed and waiting patiently for her downstairs. 

“Maybe if you’d said something last night, I would have been ready by now,” She yelled back and continue applying the dark red lipstick. Finally, she was done. 

Corny looked up at the clicking of heels on the hardwood stairs, and was met with the vision of his beaming wife. He could not help but smile back once he saw how beautiful she looked. 

“Oh baby, that jacket looks amazing with the clothing you paired it with. It works well as a tux,” Anita exclaimed as she rushed down the stairs and into his embrace. She pulled away once she realized how silent he was. 

“What’s on your mind Mr. Collins?” Anita asked with a quirked brow. She straightened his bowtie and he shivered. 

“Nothing negative my dear. The thoughts in my head are the reason you ended up pregnant in the first place,” He told her as he leaned down to kiss her upturned lips. 

“Boy, you better behave yourself,” She chided, lightly smacking his arm and he smirked.

“Not likely.” 

The couple walked out of the door hand in hand. 

 

—

“Why did that man make me get all dolled up just to have me sitting here all day long?” Anita grumbled fanning herself. Corny’s dressing room was snug, and not the seat of grandeur considering his show was only on a local phenomenon. She couldn’t leave the door open for risk of being seen, but he had wandered in minutes before with a cup of cold water and a kiss on the cheek. Anita didn't even get the chance to tell him she was hungry. 

Little did she know that he was awaiting a very specific signal. Corny had stayed up late into the night making phone calls to Maybelle and the Turnblads. Maybelle was the real mastermind, but he wanted to do anything he could to help. This signal would determine when he could bring Anita out of the dressing room. He knew she was probably bored and overheated there. He mentally cursed himself for the bad planning. He should have just let her arrive with Maybelle…

Then, the signal came. 

Tracy descended onto the stage in the Hairspray rocket, and Corny felt relieved that all of their efforts had the desired out come. 

“TRACY TURNBLAD!” He announced and immediately shuffled off of the stage. The most risky part of Maybelle’s plan was that the kids would lock Velma and the police out, and usher Anita into the main studio on their way back. All of this had to be done before Tracy’s dance was complete.

At the music reached the crest that signified the end of her turn, Corny looked nervously through the crowd that had gathered off stage, before grinning wildly at the sight of his wife. Anita was bemused and rather scandalized by the way she’d been rushed out of the dressing room. 

Anita rushed forward and slapped her husband’s arm. “You mean you knew th-“ 

“That this was going to happen the whole time,” He interrupted finishing her sentence. “Of course. Who do you think made sure they knew the layout of the building. There are areas not many people have access to. I’m the star though, and I get whatever I want.” 

Corny was so damned cocky sometimes, Anita thought. 

“You’re an absolute scoundrel. I could kiss you,” Anita groaned and he settled for pressing a subtle kiss to her hand. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll have your chance before this is over,” Corny winked at her and returned to stage. 

Maybelle looked on at the couple with an inscrutable expression. Then, she smiled and put her hand on her niece’s shoulder. “Your husband is a good guy.”

“I know,” Anita clasped her aunt’s hand and watched the scene unfold before her. 

Anita, Maybelle, and Mrs. Stubbs, Seaweed and Inez’s paternal grandmother, cheered the loudest when Inez got to dance like she had always wanted. 

“Look at my baby go!” Maybelle yelled and Anita let out a loud whistle. 

When Seaweed pulled his girl on stage, Anita immediately turned to Maybelle. 

“Maybe it runs in the family,” She said to her aunt as the couple kissed on stage. Maybelle just shook her head and laughed. They’d need to make room for another house guest it looked like. Penny’s mother was a piece of work, and it was unlikely the girl would be welcome back home after this stunt. Though with Anita moving soon, they may have had room after all. 

Corny attempted to shake Seaweed’s hand. He had never gotten the opportunity to get to know the teenaged boy who was his wife’s most beloved cousin. The teenager, with a wide grin, settled for a hand slap instead before racing off stage. Corny laughed in his wake. It was a more genuine expression of camaraderie anyway. 

It was now time for Corny to perform his final task of the show. Silence fell as he began the announcement. He tried to school his expression as he read the winner, but could not hold back the glee that swept over him with the realization of who had prevailed. 

“And the winner of the new Miss Hairspray is,” He paused pretending to look at the card again. He knew that Amber VonTussle was reading over his shoulder, ready to claim a title she had not earned. He ignored Amber’s distraught cry of disbelief and looked straight into the camera.

“INEZ STUBBS!” 

Lil Inez winning had not been part of the plan. They just wanted to give the girl the opportunity to realize her dream of dancing on television. Things always had a way of working out even better than they could anticipate. 

Anita, Maybelle, and Mrs. Stubbs cheered and hugged off stage. Their cheers were mixed with tears of triumph, as the girl not only made history, but shattered a wall of inequality that had trapped many of her predecessors. 

Anita listened to Velma try to invalidate Inez’s win, and felt warm as her husband argued against the woman and won. Corny stood firm and Inez would receive the crown. Justice had been served, even if it was only a small kind of justice.

Corny brushed off Velma VonTussle’s claws and took a deep breath as he made the announcement he had been wanting to make for so many years. No longer would he silently stand by. This was his chance to do what was right.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Corny Collins show is now and forever INTEGRATED!”

On the sidelines, Anita could feel tears streaming from her eyes as she realized what this meant. She could watch Corny’s show from the audience. She could watch her cousins dance with all of the other kids instead of waiting once a month. The Dynamites could share their music the way they deserved. There was no more hiding. 

Anita did not even register the din of excitement made up of the accumulated glee in the room. She was simply caught up in what this new change meant for her small world. 

By the time Anita had come to, Velma was fired for cheating, and Corny was inviting everyone to dance. Anita watched the showcase from the sidelines clapping and cheering along as Edna Turnblad took center stage to the surprise and delight of everyone. Maybelle had talked to her extensively of how bad she felt for the woman who was too embarrassed by her size to appreciate her own inner beauty. It appeared that the night had healed many different kinds of wounds.

“I’m going to dance with you,” Corny breathlessly said to Anita who had not stopped smiling. “But I need to-“ 

Velma interrupted him. “Do something Corny! This show is turning to gumbo.” 

Anita almost snapped at the woman, but Corny got to her first. 

“Not a chance Velma. This is the future.” He responded. 

“Look, just because your girlfriend is one of them, doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Yes, I’ve known all along. It’s not natural. It’s like we’re bringing livestock onto the show,” Velma snapped back at him. 

Corny stiffened and it was obvious that he was about to explode in an unhealthy fit of rage and disgust. 

“Actually,” Anita interrupted with a falsely sweet voice. “I’m not his girlfriend. I’m his wife.” 

Velma gasped and covered her mouth with her hands before rushing away. Anita knew she would probably try to tell the authorities about them, but once her lies had been revealed on live television, the woman had lost credibility. 

Corny, with a look of intense determination, marched off-stage once more, and pulled Maybelle from backstage. 

“Maybelle, let’s go. This is your time,” Corny said and led her onto the stage. 

Maybelle grabbed the mic and her stage persona began to take over. Never did she dare to dream of this opportunity, but she would not let that stop her from enjoying the chance she was given. Maybelle proceeded to own the stage, upstaging Corny on what was once just his show. Now, it had become so much more. 

Corny went back over to his wife and stood with her on the sidelines as Maybelle took over hosting the show. Corny knew Anita was much more shy about dancing than he was, but he wasted no time in pulling her toward the stage. "Corny, what are you doing?" Anita protested a little. He simply gave her his signature smile and replied, "Dancing with my wife." Anita almost immediately gave into the atmosphere around her. 

The other dancers gave them ample space as they were shocked to see the host so genuinely happy and excited. Everyone knew that, while Corny was a generally kind man, his everyday smile was his showbiz smile. Besides that, other than the opening song, Corny rarely ever danced on the stage. Yet here he was, with this beautiful woman, dancing his heart out, beaming in a way that he never had before. The crowd went crazy at seeing the host participate in this event itself. In past competitions, Corny would perform a dance with the contest winner, but stopped after Amber won the third time. 

“Who is that?” The original council members asked their new partners as the host made a spectacle of himself. They had never seen the Black woman before, and had no idea that she was the source of all of the music featured on the show—even the Negro Day episodes. All they knew now was that Corny was dancing with the mysterious woman smiling in such a way that made everyone wonder at their relationship. 

Admittedly, the two made a very handsome couple—even if people thought it was just for dancing. Everyone wondered at how long they’d known each other, how they’d met, and what her name was. Whispers were exchanged as the couple danced, but no one dared to interrupt them. 

Anita and Corny stared into each other’s eyes as if communicating their next steps to one another. They were perfectly in sync, and it was probably the best either of them had danced in a while—if ever in Anita’s case. Corny was especially gentle on his pregnant wife as to not over task her, but he couldn’t help but pick her up and swing her around in a swing dance style. Anita, true to form, kicked her legs up as he did so to add and extra flair to the move. Anita heard Maybelle let out a particularly loud bravo at that. 

Once he set her onto the floor, Corny looked as though he was going to take a note from Seaweed and kiss her, but she pulled back, masking his attempt as just being a little out of breath. 

“You still have to crown Inez,” Anita whispered and he nodded.

“Right. Forgot about that. Well, we still have time for a grand exit,” Corny replied with a mischievous grin.

“Huh?” was all Anita could get out before Corny swung her into his arms. He spun the both of them off stage on time to the music to the cheers of the young dancers and the crowd. 

Anita stood off-stage as they crowned Inez, and she realized that she had never felt so happy before. It was as if all of the troubles of the past few years had washed away. The cloud loomed no longer. 

The show soon devolved into a televised, free-for-all dance. Corny and Anita even joined in on the festivities. The camera focused on many the newly integrated dancing couples, but could not seem to resist landing Corny and Anita often. Many suspected a romance, but with no proof to justify those thoughts, they had to surmise that the dancing couple just had a natural chemistry. 

They danced well into the evening, even after the show had stopped airing. No one wanted the night to end.

—

“Corny, why do you insist on carrying me everywhere?” Anita asked exasperatedly as they arrived home that evening. Corny was carrying her into the house.

“Because I can,” was his simple response. She gave him a look and he conceded. 

“Holding you makes me feel incredibly happy, and I want to do it all the time. I just have no urge to ever let you out of my arms. Plus, the reminder of how strong I actually am always makes me feel special,” He clarified.

“Couldn’t resist being full of yourself could you?” Anita replied and her husband chuckled. 

“I still can’t wrap my head around everything that happened today. The show is integrated, my baby cousin is a star dancer. My other cousin is also in an interracial relationship. The producers want to take the show to the national level. And to top it off, you almost kissed me on live television,” Anita mused out loud. Corny frowned at the last point. 

“I’m kind of annoyed that I didn’t get to,” Corny muttered. “We got so caught up in the dancing and atmosphere that I didn’t even get to do the grand unveiling of our relationship that I had in mind.” 

“Sweetie, that might have been for the best. You didn't talk to me about it first, and I’m not interested in having my life put in danger over a public display of affection. We have enough to worry about with Seaweed and Penny,” Anita kissed his cheek. 

By this time, the couple was in their room getting ready for bed. 

“Well sweetie, we at least left them wondering about the nature of our relationship.” Corny noted. 

“The council members are none the wiser, but the kids from the neighborhood have some idea of what’s going on between us. On a more important note, I was wondering if you could do me a favor Corny?” Anita climbed into bed clad in just her dress slip. 

“Anything,” was Corny’s response as he unbuttoned his shirt. 

“Can you help me get official recognition as the songwriter for the show. I know why it was impossible before, but now that things are changed, I want to be open about my work. I wouldn’t mind getting better pay too. UltraClutch makes a load from the publishing rights to the council members’ songs.” 

“Money would never be an issue for you though Anita. What's mine is yours and I've got plenty of it,” Corny mumbled as he got into bed next to her. Anita sat up and looked at him. 

“It’s not just about that Corny. I work really hard on my music, even the washed out songs. I want the chance to be able to openly do what I love. I just want the opportunity to do more than sit here and be pregnant,” Anita explained as she straddled him. 

“Of course. You deserve it. I’ll handle it first thing in the morning. Now, what’s this all about?” Corny asked placing his hands on her hips. 

“Well,” Anita skimmed her hands over his bare chest. “You mentioned something about impure thoughts earlier? I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind elaborating further.”

Corny grinned and kissed the tip of her nose before rolling the both of them over. 

“Ah yes, allow me to demonstrate.” 

—

“Think about it. A little while longer and I won’t be able to see my feet,” Anita pointed out over breakfast a full two months after the show. 

Corny grinned. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing. I personally, cannot wait for the day where I must wait on my lady hand and foot because she cannot see said foot

Anita rolled her eyes at his antics. They were about to go into work soon, and Anita sighed remembering what the first few days were like. She was the first Black woman the studio hired fully, and it was not all easy and sweet. One woman flat out quit right in front of Anita’s face thinking that it would deter the producers from integrating the staff. The woman was quickly disappointed at the realization that the lower staff was going to be integrated regardless. A few others had also walked out at that point, whereas more open minded employees had welcomed Anita with a polite distance. 

Maybelle sent over a few girls from the neighborhood to apply for the brand new openings. Now, though they were still the minority of workers, there was a fair amount of black people employed by Ultra Clutch. 

Anita had become friends with one co-worker, Edith, a woman from Brooklyn who had moved to Baltimore with her husband. Edith had been with the company for a little longer than Corny had been the host. She smoked like a fireplace and wasn't as refined, but Anita liked her all the same. 

“So, you mean to tell me that you not only write the music for the show, but you work as a phone line operator and still only get paid a dollar more than the rest of us who just answer phones all day?” Edith asked, a cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth. She and Anita had taken their breaks together. 

“Yeah, but it’s only a song a week,” Anita reasoned as she sipped her tea. Corny always made sure that they kept her favorite tea in his office for her to have during breaks. 

“You’re better than I am, because I’d be demanding more money in a second. The songs are popular. There’s even been talk that the council should make an album. I’m sure Corny has mentioned that you though,” Edith waved her hand dismissively. 

The New Yorker had picked up on the relationship between Corny and Anita. She had no idea about the marriage, but knew there was something between them. Anita heavily considered confiding in her new friend considering that she was the most open-minded person at the studio, but caution won out.

“Yeah in the city, everyone’s running after everyone else. Doesn’t matter what their skin color is, if they want you, they want you. You should go for it, he's a looker,” Edith suggested to Anita the first time she caught Corny staring at his wife. 

To Edith’s credit, Corny had stopped being cautious about his relationship at this point. He never referred to Anita as his wife, but still used other endearments towards her. Anita remained far more professional in her interactions with him, but there was a warmth in her gaze that gave away her affection towards him. 

There was talk and even some jealously. Corny’s attractiveness and charisma made him a much sought after man. Many of Ultra Clutch’s female employees harbored a crush on the host. So, his attention being given to Anita triggered some bitterness in the office. 

Anita tempered it well enough, knowing that if she lost her composure at work, she would be fired quickly. That didn’t stop her from complaining at home. 

“If I have to hear, someone else bemoan the fact that you ‘like’ Black women one more time, I’m going to get fired,” Anita rattled off as they got ready for bed one night. She was yanking a brush through her hair and fuming in front of the vanity that Corny added there for her. 

Corny walked over and took the brush from her. He started gently brushing out the ends of her thick hair. “Anita, I’m your husband. It’s not like they’d even have a chance. I did not acknowledge them before I met you, and I wouldn’t start now. Just let it go.” 

“I can’t,” was all she said. Corny sighed. "You're my wife. You're my very pregnant wife who is going to need to go on maternity leave very soon because she's starting to show. I know it hasn't been easy going into the studio every day, but there's no where else you belong as much as you belong next to me. Now, as for those women, pay them no mind. They're all replaceable. You are not. They don't deserve your energy," Corny told her as he pulled her down next to him. He wrapped his arms tight around her, locking her into his embrace. "You're special Anita, and their envy will not make you any less special or important to me." "You sure are a sweet talker," Anita mumbled and he kissed her temple. "Only for you sweet heart," Corny replied, and the couple quickly turned in for the night.

 

~~~  
Chapter Fin


End file.
